September 09, 2009

Forgiveness 101- The Final Chapter- THE POWER UP

Before we delve in to this final part of the discussion, let’s recap. 1. We have discovered that you are not a victim, nobody is because we are always responsible for what happens to us before, during or after the fact. (Forgiving Self) 2. You have the power of choice and when it is wielded wisely it can reverse events (if not literally) then in your perception and time stream, with results so real, it is all that matters. You are an eternal being with eternal opportunity to exercise your powers of freewill and so, there is nothing any human or group of humans can do that you cannot bounce back from (Forgiving Others). 3. Pain is a natural part of life. It is not evil nor does it equate suffering. It serves a vital purpose and when embraced and accepted with equal appreciation as pleasure currently is, you can achieve bliss and freedom in this Universe (Forgiving God).

After 911, at the New York concert and telethon for the heroes, the traumatised audience booed Richard Gere when he brought up the subject of embracing forgiveness.Little did that audience know that he was far more powerful than they thought and if they had half his awareness they would not have been so easily victimised and manipulated by greedy politicians to justify an war that enriched few but killed, maimed and impoverished many.

The Grand Architect made things in such a way that forgiveness is not only possible but can be offered unconditionally. Nursing hurts and seeking revenge are primal human qualities and though understandable, are not Divine nor are from the Divine mind. When we exercise our Divinity which stems from being enlightened and living our lives with Insights 1, 2 and 3 we can forgive sometimes inconceivable things, like gang rape, infanticide and being infected with deadly diseases because of someone’s negligence. Why? Because we become empowered. Power is the secret that makes forgiveness an inevitable. An elephant does not need to hold a grudge against an ant that bit it.

After 911, at the New York concert and telethon for the heroes, the traumatised audience booed Richard Gere when he brought up the subject of embracing forgiveness. One week after the event, they were not ready to hear such a thing. At that point in time, Americans felt they were victims, severely wronged by evildoers, abandoned by God, punished and vengeance was the only respectable, brave and manly solution to regain their power. If you understand the American mentality, you can see why.

In an interview, General Norman Schwartzkof was asked if he thought there was room for forgiveness toward the people who have harboured and abetted the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks on America.His answer: "I believe that forgiving them is God's function. Our job is simply to arrange the meeting."

What he does not realize is that his quest to arrange that meeting, millions have been impoverished, hundreds of thousands have been maimed and thousands killed. Revenge only brings bad karma.

Americans see themselves as “more blessed” than other non-Christian nations. Part of being blessed is living a life of effortless pleasure and power. Pleasure makes many feel rewarded for their faith. It does not matter if the majority of Americans worship Jesus who was as hippie as they came. America has materialism to excess (greed, obesity, corruption) despite being a “Christian” nation because a “hard life” is somehow an indicator of Godlessness. When tragedy strikes they immediately attribute it to some kind of punishment or gross evil. Religious surveys will demonstrate that the biggest trigger to loss of faith among Americans is the loss of financial security because they believe they are entitled to prosperity by virtue of being Christian and so if poverty strikes it means God has abandoned them to a life of hardship or does not exist. If they are attacked, it is seen as an unholy attack on “God’s people.”

It is very easy to mistake those who are forgiving as indifferent or worse yet weak. To our childish brains, we see the person being inconvenienced or enduring the pain or insult as the victim, when in fact, it is the other way around. Someone as enlightened as Mr. Gere comes across as detached from reality or a complete pansy for not exhibiting righteous anger and pounding his fists in the air. Little did that audience know that he was far more powerful than they thought and if they had half his awareness they would not have been so easily victimised and manipulated by greedy politicians to justify an war that enriched few but killed, maimed and impoverished many.

Yes it is all about power. It is about Ghandi knowing that despite human appearances he is more powerful than the entire British Empire and they are in fact the “victims” of their own unenlightened greed, racism and dominion-oriented thinking.

Forgiveness does not mean allowing yourself to be hurt over and over if that is not what you want. It does not mean avoiding doing everything in your power to defend the rights of those who need defending. Martin Luther King Junior forgiving those who were racist didn’t mean stopping his campaign for equal civil rights. Forgiving your rapist does not mean not testifying at their trial. If a friend has betrayed you, it does not mean you have to be close friends with them again just because you forgave them. If someone borrowed money from you and did not repay it and you forgive them it doesn’t mean you must lend them money again and it also does not mean you must not. Forgiveness, true forgiveness informed by your full mastery over the Universal Laws helps you make choices free from feelings of “suffering” whether manifested as hurt, betrayal, fear, anger or guilt. You retain your freewill, your bliss and most of all your power no matter what decision you make.

The one who hates is the true victim and the one to be pitied.

Yes it is all about power. It is about Ghandi knowing that despite human appearances he is more powerful than the entire British Empire and they are in fact the “victims” of their own unenlightened greed, racism and dominion-oriented thinking. It is the homophobe who feels the burning acidic hatred in his stomach when he sees a gay couple out and about. He is the one who is truly suffering. The “affront” he feels the gay couple have caused him is of course all in his mind. For the gay couple are not doing anything to him. While they just go about living their lives, the homophobe starts the seed of heart disease and cancer growing within him because of a false expectation, that everyone must conform to the social, religious and sexual mores that make him comfortable. He cannot accept sexual diversity is natural. Poor soul! It is about me knowing that I am actually the one with the power and my former abuser (if he is still a slave to his dysfunction) is the victim. I should therefore pity him, not hate him. If his life were in my hands I would spare it and I actually think I could do this. If one of us had to die, I would sacrifice myself so he could live. Here is where I have yet more work to do.

It is ironic that billions have fetishised Jesus Christ on the cross and elevated that universal demonstration of forgiveness to something supernatural. In doing so, they have missed the message completely. How many of us know of grannies and aunties clutching their rosary beads and praying before the suffering Christ every Sunday but unable to let go of long held resentments. They think forgiveness is some gift that will be mystically bestowed on them. They don’t get it! Jesus was able to forgive because he knew he was eternal, that there was nothing to fear and exercising his freewill to accept and submit to pain would create positive results. With same understanding and acceptance of the Creator’s Universal Laws we are all capable of forgiving what Jesus did and even more! Forgiveness is a Power Up because it comes from your own power in this world; your enlightenment, depth of unconditional love and trust in the Universe. No Diety can make you forgive. It has to come from you.

By fetishizing the powerful gesture of forgivness Jesus made and deifying him, turning it into something mystical many have been fooled into thinking that level of forgiveness is beyond our grasp as human beings. They pray their entire lives expecting some magical ability to come to them only it never does. Even the most devout can continue to harbour resentments to their grave, the power of forgiveness eluding them all their lives because their approach is entirely inaccurate.

Does a loving, capable and experienced mother feel personally hurt and offended if her toddler poops on the floor? No. What if that child throws his food bowl down on the ground in a tantrum? Does the loving, empowered mother feel so betrayed by that act of disrespect and ungratefulness; she needs to smite the toddler? No. What if that child screams, “I hate you Mommy!” when she denies candy or playtime? Is holding the child’s hand over a lit stove a just reaction? No. Why?

The mother knows and understands things the child does not. The mother is more powerful and knows the child will learn in time to manage his incontinence, stress and unwarranted anger which all stem from his immaturity and powerlessness. She feels pity for the child’s limitations in understanding and self-control. What do you think our Creator feels for us, puny, lost, afraid and mostly ignorant creatures stumbling around down here? We are even less capable than toddlers in relation to an Almighty Being and know as little as there is to know about the Universe as a two year old about his life, family, neighbourhood and world.

The power that enables forgiveness has been known to stop hardened criminals in their tracks and in Ms. Turner’s case, it made Ike see what a puny, weakling he is and like the child who realizes his temper tantrums do not provoke his mother, slink off to face his demons.

In a situation where a man is beating his wife, he is just as much to be pitied as she is. Even more so, if she realizes that he is actually lashing out at his own insecurity and self-hatred. The moment she realizes this, she has instantly become more powerful than he is. He is the petulant child and she is the mother. All that remains is for her to exercise her power of Choice and know that there is no reason to be afraid, even if death faces her. It is her cowardice that empowers his base ego. Like Tina Turner, stand calm, resolute, powerful radiating Divine trust, even while her abusive husband stands with a gun pointed at her head in her dressing room on the debut of her performance. Embracing and using this power is tremendous! It has been known to stop hardened criminals in their tracks and in Ms. Turner’s case, it made Ike see what a puny, weakling he is and like the child who realizes his temper tantrums do not provoke his mother, slink off to face his demons.

When we are less than powerful and Divine, we scream, yell and hit back at toddlers or even fear them. The same can be said when we address the ignorance and disempowered actions of those we call the dregs of society with overdone outrage, demanding an eye for an eye. It is caused by our own sense of disempowerment and our own insecurities. Do you know many children are needlessly punished for embarrassing their parents while the parent takes no responsibility for his or her feelings of embarrassment and the true cause of it? Even worse than a child feeling responsible for a parent’s ego are we humans feeling responsible for bolstering the self-esteem of our Creator.

We love to present a version of God to the world who shares our petty grudges.

When we try to present the Creator as one who can be vexed, insulted, hurt enough by our puny actions, it needs spectacularly sadistic retribution to assuage Its wrath we cripple billions. We keep the Power Up of Forgiveness out of reach and in doing so, we cripple ourselves and delay our spiritual progress which is strongly linked to our physical progress as a species. They are in fact one and the same.

We will never conquer all the various forms of suffering (pleasure or pain induced) that hinder our human race until we are at peace with the Universe, its systems and stop demanding more than what is fair because of our feelings of lack. One of the ways we demand more of our fair share is making it our duty to punish others. Revenge is a greedy action and seeking vengeance for illusionary blows to one’s ego is even more gluttonous. Where there is gluttony, there is sure to be suffering.

The reason revenge and punishment is gluttonous is because the Universe already has systems in place to return equal reactions to everyone’s actions. We started this discussion with the Law of Consequence and we will end it with that same Law as well. This time, we will refer to it as karma.

There is no need to punish anyone for anything. If we are truly an enlightened society, we would see that a criminal, no matter how heinous and sadistic is actually living in a self-imposed hell already. Karma never skips a beat, whether in this lifetime or the infinite one to come. I am not saying we should let dangerous criminals go free. By all means we need to protect our families and communities! However, our childish and ungodly desire to ill treat those who have ill treated us has only resulted in more suffering. The more inhumane prisons we create, the more criminals we create to fill them and the more hardened they become. The countries with the death penalty have the highest violent crimes and murder rates per capita. Like I said, karma does not skip a beat. When we take more from the Universe than is our fair share, the Law of Consequence demands we pay it back equally. When we forgive we gain Cosmic Credit and are able to influence not only our soul growth but that of other people. Let me illustrate:

A man invades your home and he tortures and kills your two of your four children. You have a choice of:

A. Seek retribution by putting all your energy into inflicting the same on the man.

This will involve time, money and sacrifice on your part but you will of course fuel it by your righteous indignation and grief. Your surviving loved ones will no doubt have to also sacrifice to accommodate your need for revenge and you will not be able to comfort them. Your neglect of them is of course going to invite bad karma. Since you need your anger to fuel this vengeance, you will not be willing to heal as it would soften your resolve. You are inflicting hurt on yourself and shoving off any who try to get you to heal. This was an opportunity for many to reach out to you and in doing so, create good in your life and theirs, but you have to quell that positive process. Since the Law of Attraction has not stopped working, your anger, hate keeps bringing more reasons to feel angry and hateful and your health suffers. Finally, when you do get your way and he is tortured and killed, it dawns on you that it does not bring back your children and the remaining ones you have hurt with your neglect. The loss is still there. The grief is still there. Your anger at yourself, the murderer and God is still there.

Worse yet, your hunger for revenge has alienated, sickened and depleted you and you are acting from a place of victimization. You still think you are helpless, life is unfair, God is a sadistic asshole or at best an apathetic entity. You still feel unsafe and powerless in your everyday life. You are a sitting duck for another misfortune. Ever met someone whose entire life was just one tragedy after another? It is because they are playing to the Laws of Consequence a melancholy song for which it will find a complimentary vocal and music video. You are about to set off a chain of misfortune that will lead to your ultimate defeat unless you take your power back. You have extended the negative influence of the killer further than it needed to go.

B. Forgive yourself, the man, God and the Universe.

As hard as it may be, accept your role in making this misfortune possible, from your most distant contribution to the system that allowed it, to the more personal ways you left your family at risk. Resolve to change this positively and in doing so take back your power and understanding that you are not a random victim, indiscriminately abandoned and exposed to suffering. There is a reason to things. Connect with the eternal existence of your children. Do what you need to do in order to fully appreciate they are alive and unharmed in this Universe. Many who do this also are made aware that their departed loved ones are not even angry or hurt about their death and accept it was part of the plan. This will help you forgive the murderer for he did not hurt your children’s souls. He sped up their journey through this Universe and made you say goodbye to them in their current incarnation earlier than you would have wished to. But you will see them in other ways and know they are far better off than you or the murderer will ever be. These two actions will bring into sharp focus the good this bitter medicine has brought into your life and the lives of those around you enabling you to forgive God and the Universe. You are free! Hurt, loss and echoes of the tragedy will linger but will be balanced by your power, connection to your children’s souls and trust in God/Universe leading to a greater sense of acceptance and inner peace.

But what about the murderer?

You do not have to personally seek justice. The Universe is just because it exacts equal results for equal actions. The Universe and by extension the laws of the land will dole out justice no matter what you do. By forgiving you have not only freed yourself and curtailed the suffering but you have not gluttonously taken more from the Cosmos than is your fair due. Demanding an eye for the eye that you have lost does not give you back your sight. It only handicaps another and spreads the ill-effects of blindness further.

The Universe does not owe anyone anything, because everything is provided as required, as attracted, as is karmic justice. However, when you use your enlightenment and power deliver more than what you were given (See. Jesus’ parable of the talents), by the very same Law of Consequence, great things are due to come your way. As all spiritual leaders before you who ascended to a higher plane, you are well on your way to a similar reward.

C. Do the entire Forgiveness Power Up in Option B PLUS extend your inner power to others, including the one who wronged you.

Let’s say the murderer is caught and sentenced to death. You advocate against the death penalty. You meet with the person and tell him the hell he put you through but ultimately that you forgive him and since the loss of your children, you have brought positive changes into your life, those of your remaining children and your community. You tell him that you will advocate for his sentence to be reduced to life in prison because you do not need him to die to avenge your children’s deaths. One death does not justify another, his life is not equal to the lives of your children, who are in fact still alive in spirit. In addition, you track down his origins, his family history and his victims and you reach out to them, helping where you can. You are creating Cosmic Credit.

The Universe does not owe anyone anything, because everything is provided as required, as attracted, as is karmic justice. However, when you use your enlightenment and power deliver more than what you were given (See. Jesus’ parable of the talents), by the very same Law of Consequence, great things are due to come your way. As all spiritual leaders before you who ascended to a higher plane, you are well on your way to a similar reward.

Are you ready for even more power for even more intense adventures to come with far reaching effects on the Cosmos when you wield your power of Choice? Your path to perfection and ultimate union with The One continues. It always does, into infinity.

It is not a permanent vacation from the ups and downs of Universal existence. Power begets more power and with greater power come greater responsibilities. You will be going through the very same ups and downs of Universal existence with all its hard work, adventures, cliffhangers, difficult decisions, pain, pleasure but this time with the abilities of a superhero instead of a mere mortal and greater capacity for bliss by exercising that power correctly. There is no lazy cloud lounging and harp playing. Your path to perfection and ultimate union with The One continues. It always does, into infinity.

4 comments:

Jessica!! After a long while something just told me to go check out the Alien's blog and I am so glad that I did. Was just scanning quickly and loving what I was seeing so I copied and pasted the last four posts into one notepad file and I am going now to give it the careful reading that it deserves. Blessings

Jessica, I thoroughly enjoyed reading these four posts. Thank you very much for the sustained thought and the generosity of spirit that went into sharing these wonderful ideas/truths. I will be revisiting them in my mind for a long time to come. Merci pour cette benediction.More blessings in return!

Wow, to name all the influences would take all day as they are varied and unconventional. Off the top of my mind, I can say Louise Hay, Zusanna Budapest, the Gospel writers, J.R. Tolkein (Gandalf's reference to Gollum and how he too serves a purpose and it was wise for Bilbo to spare his life)

Honestly, now when I come to think of it, there are echos of true forgiveness in the most unlikely places. Most important place is in our own heart and higher consciousness.

About Me

I was born in Besancon France and grew up in my parents' homeland of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and now work and travel around the region in the Marketing/Advertising field. My specialty? Trendspotting, consumer behavior, original ideas for companies to do community outreach. However, my true passion lies in solving the global challenges that threaten our planet and its species. To that end, I have been blogging for a long time on my own site and I also wrote a few articles for The Huffington Post. I am a member of the USOLVE School of Social Entrepreneurship and currently doing an Alternative MBA Social Innovation.

I want more understanding, empathy, and enlightenment to influence the human race, starting with me.

I am neither left nor right, I am UP.

The left and right are keeping us going around in circles instead of evolving UPWARD.